Headed Away for the Holidays? Keep Your Home Safe!

Is a well-deserved vacation in your future over the holidays? Don’t let the excitement of preparing for vacation blind you to the risks of leaving your home unprotected

We’ve prepared a checklist of the top 10 items to go over before you head out!

Dave Team Home Safety Check List:

Have someone you trust to stay at your house or check in each day while you are away – in most cases, this can cover most of your bases!

Set light timers (if you have them) to go on periodically to create the illusion you are still home.

Have a neighbor, friend or house sitter take out and bring in garbage and recycling. There’s nothing like piles of unread newspapers and flyers to show a thief that no one’s been home!

Have your house sitter periodically turn on and off the faucets, especially if you are gone for a long time.

Before leaving, do a walk-through of your home and turn off and unplug electronics that aren’t necessary.

Look at your home from the street-view – are any valuables visible from the street? Consider obscuring these from view.

Don’t leave a key hidden outside for extended periods of time. 50% of home break-ins involve the use of a key!

Hold off on the Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat posts! Pay mind to where you talk about your trip. Spreading the word on social media about being away for a month can be a recipe for disaster.

Consider investing in a home security system. The benefits of installing a security system extend beyond while you are away too, often including lower insurance rates and an attractive feature when you sell your home in the future.

Do you have any home safety tips you can add to this list?

Print this off, review before you leave, lock up – and leave your worries behind!